The suspect was detained without incident and multiple firearms were found in his vehicle “in plain view,” the sheriff’s office said.
A kidnapped woman in the US was rescued after she discreetly passed a note to a gas station customer, urging them to call the police. The incident took place in Arizona and was detailed in a Facebook post by the Arizona Police.
The woman had been abducted from a Phoenix car dealership by a man posing as an Uber driver. He used zip ties to restrain her and drove towards Las Vegas, spending a night at a Lake Mead park. While at an Arizona gas station on the following day, the woman managed to surreptitiously hand a note to another customer that included a plea for help, “call 911,” a description of the van they were in, their destination, and a phone number.
The customer promptly contacted law enforcement, providing details about the woman, the man with her, and their direction on Interstate 40. The information was relayed to authorities, leading to the location of the van and the victim. The suspect, identified as Jacob Wilhoit, was arrested without resistance, and his vehicle yielded multiple firearms in plain sight. Wilhoit faced charges including kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, and aggravated assault.
It was revealed that the victim had been reported as missing and endangered earlier that day by her mother, mentioning Jacob Wilhoit as a person of interest. Although the woman and Wilhoit were acquainted, authorities did not provide a motive for the kidnapping.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office praised the victim for her quick thinking in passing the note and commended the gas station customer for their willingness to assist.
